Kristin Enzor/For IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Dale Jr. Surprised by Playoff Committee’s New Stance on Full-Season Title

Originally posted on Athlon Sports
By Gowtham Ramalingam | Last updated Oct 1, 2025 5:31 PM ET

The hottest conversations in the past week have revolved around how NASCAR officials might finally be warming up to the idea of a 36-race full-season points format for the Cup Series. It came to light that this turnaround was fueled by a vast majority of the playoff committee being in favor of the old system.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., a key member of the committee, has been left quite surprised by how this came to be. When a return to this format was proposed earlier in the year, almost none, except Junior, had been in support of it. But in the most recent, and presumably last, meeting of the committee, there was a huge transition.

“I was one of the people that was saying, you know, a full season is best,” he said. “But I understand it's very unlikely. They [NASCAR] asked the question, ‘Has anybody’s opinion swayed?’ And boy, I was surprised by what came next.”

There's been a shift in the Playoff Format Committee's polls... ️

️ From The @DaleJr Download pic.twitter.com/1wWokeRNgf
— Dirty Mo Media (@DirtyMoMedia) October 1, 2025

Junior revealed that a large section of the committee, including some media personnel, was suddenly in favor of it. He added, “Some media members, that I honestly thought I’d never hear say, ‘Hey, I didn’t feel this way at the start of the year, but now I gotta admit, full-season points is the best way to do it.”

“And I was like, ‘Holy [expletive]’”

Junior Is Confident About Format Change

Six months back, when NASCAR had asked the playoff committee for opinions about the full-season points format, Junior believed that there was only a 2% chance of things going that way. But now, he believes there is a 30% or 40% chance for the old format to return for good.

A recent article that veteran reporter Jeff Gluck published about NASCAR seriously considering a return to the format has further strengthened his belief. The promotion has confirmed that announcements regarding any changes to the playoff format will come once the season has finished.

It still would be a massive turnover if NASCAR decides to get rid of the elimination-style format altogether. While that’s unlikely at the end of the day, these developments prove that nothing is set in stone when it comes to the sport.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: